Monday, February 6, 2012

Another post to go with my theme of "Transformations", this one involves transforming myself into the "Selkie" from Irish Myth and Fairy Tales. I have been wanting to "make" myself into a Selkie for sometime now, but I knew it would be hard work. This time, I made my features very dark(with lighting and some make-up, very 'old school'). The environment I created was equally dark as well as wet, windy and truly maddening(I ended up not being able to see what I was photographing, I felt like I was in the middle of storm and I created my own 'beach', but NO, I DO NO HAVE A SEAL SKIN or any kind of skin. The 'seal skin' that is seen in some of the photographs is made by my hands which can also be called magick.).

"Prayers to please let me capture at least one photograph 'cause I can't be seeing anything in this storm I have created and my glasses were lost in the waves of the sea...but they don't help my eye balls so much anyway and I refuse to set all this crazy up again, Thank you"

"My Eye Balls"

The Selkie was a Seal swimming blissfully with her Seal sisters while in the Sea. But, these Seals would come ashore to dance in the Moonlight where they would they would become human woman and shed their Seal skins.

"The Selkie"

The Selkie-Woman was coveted for being the most loving and loyal of wives, so men would watch and wait for them to come on land and then steal their skins so they could marry them. Once married, the men would hide the Selkie's skin and she would forget her Seal sisters and her true origins. She would go on to have children and to be the most caring wife and mother of legend. But, she always felt a longing for something when she stared out to the sea.

"Left Behind"

As the myth tells, the Selkie Woman would eventually find her Seal Skin and then remember her sea home. The cries of her Seal Sisters would be unbearable to her and then she would be faced with an impossible choice; would she stay with her human and beloved family on land or would she would return to the pull of the sea and her dear sisters where she felt she truly belonged.

"The Discovery"

For my part, I called this series of photographs "Longing". But, where is home? Is it a place in our heart? This is what so many stories tell us.

"Heartless Home"

"Heart Path"

But, I know that there are definitely physical places that call to me strongly as if my own Seal Sisters were there. These places make me feel more alive, relaxed and like I can finally breathe. I feel like "me" and I do feel at home. But, this is a earth, sky, water and no more or is it? How can this be home?

"Water Drop"

This is part of the human condition. Do we choose our beloved families or these physical places that call to us?﻿ There will always be a longing and this impossible decision.

"Longing"

p.s. I managed to take some photographs despite all of these emotional questions and not being able to see what I was doing. That is something really cool to think on!

Follow by Email

Where You can find Me

"The Lady of Shallot" Doll(My Version of her ends up just Dandy!)

One of my Mixed Media Art Dolls~Ask me more about my Dolls and creating a Special One Just for you!

"Cat Busts" All have been adopted

A little Collection of my Mixed Media Cat Bust Sculptures~Ask me about creating a special one just for you. I can make any whimsical creature or person you can imagine!

"Tess and Her Dear One"

One of my Commissioned Mixed Media Paintings on archival cotton rag paper. Ask me about painting a special one for you of your family-furry and/or non-furry~

"Geneveive and Her Horse Dream"

One of my 3 Plate Colour Reduction Monotypes made on my Printing Press

"The Swan Boys"

Mysterious Little Creatures who live by a Magical Lake-I was very lucky to photograph them one night!

Magic in My House!

A Theatre for Cats and Dorothy's Ruby Slippers

Followers

Words from Writer, Painter DJ Berger, Click His Painting to His blog

Above is an unbelievable portrait that artist and writer, DJ Berger, did of me in his own stylist manner. I love it so much because I feel like for the first time, someone has finally seen and then recreated how I see myself-so rare. He is so talented in many ways. He also works with many other mediums. Truly a wonderful friend, he is also hilarious with a wonderful wit and sense of humour as well as being so thoughtful. Thank you for these beautiful words you wrote to describe me-they mean a lot to a misfit like me! "I'll have to take my positives where I find them. One of which arrived this week, when my crazy (seriously) but wonderful friend Rowan sent me her half of an art exchange. Rowan lives -- in her head, in her heart -- in an alternative landscape ... an ancient place of whispering hills and magical forests, where doomed Indian princesses and discarded brides wander weeping from dead lovers and ruined towers." DJ Berger 2009